Morning everyone. I've been targeted by a rather nasty scam which I'd like to warn others about.

I received an email claiming that my account had been hacked and through it a "trojan horse" virus had been installed on my computer. The sender claimed to have been using this for over six months to spy on all my online activity and to have filmed me viewing certain "intimate content".

The email went on to say that unless I pay a sum of money (about $800) to a specified bitcoin account within 48 hours, this alleged compromising material would be sent to all my contacts. I received a large number of copies of the email, all identical apart from small details like the nickname used by the sender and the precise amount of money being demanded.

I wouldn't normally be bothered by this sort of phishing attack, except for one worrying thing: the email quoted the password that had supposedly been hacked which, although it isn't the one I use for email, is an actual password that (until about an hour ago) I used on several sites including my online banking.

I've done a bit of research and it seems that what these scammers have in fact done is acquired a load of passwords that were leaked as a result of a historic data breach. They have not actually hacked any accounts themselves and do not have access to your computer.

If you receive one or more of these emails, DON'T panic, do NOT send any money and, if the password they quote is one you currently use for anything important... CHANGE IT! You might also consider forwarding the email to NFIBPhishing@city-of-london.pnn.police.uk.

(And if I've got this horribly wrong and the internet ends up plastered with videos of me cracking one off while looking at photos of AJ Pritchard shirtless - enjoy.)

I got one in a similar vein that wasn't sexplotative, but claimed it had my password and wanted money for their silence. Thing is, the email contained the password they had hacked. And it really was one of mine. Bit disconcerting so I've immediately signed over all my stuff to them. More fool them, though - my stuff is shit.

Eoin Monaghan wrote:
He may not be liked on here, but you have to give some credit to Mark